Bon appétit! Drawing inspiration from the rich history of French cuisine, this delectable spread from SPAR will bring the flavours of France straight to your kitchen.
Plus stand a chance to WIN a R1 000 SPAR voucher! Simply fill out the form below and answer an easy question (HINT: the answer is in the recipes).
CAULIFLOWER VELOUTÉ WITH BRUSCHETTA
Serves 4 – 6 EASY 1 hr
WHAT YOU NEED
1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
30ml (2 tbsp) SPAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil
SPAR Salt and freshly ground SPAR Black Pepper, to taste
45ml (3 tbsp) SPAR Salted Butter
1 onion, finely diced
leaves of 2 fresh thyme sprigs
5ml (1 tsp) SPAR Dijon Mustard
750ml (3 cups) SPAR Chicken Flavour Stock, prepared according to packaging instructions
250ml (1 cup) SPAR Long Life Cream
10ml (2 tsp) SPAR Lemon Juice
chopped fresh chives, to garnish
bruschetta, to serve (optional)
HOW TO DO IT
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the cauliflower on a roasting tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Season to taste. Roast in the preheated oven until the cauliflower is soft and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Set aside until needed.
2 Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, Dijon mustard, roasted cauliflower and chicken stock. Cook, uncovered, about 10 minutes.
3 Use a stick blender to blitz the mixture until smooth. Add the cream and lemon juice, and stir until heated through.
4 Serve hot, garnished with chopped chives. Enjoy with bruschetta alongside, if desired.
PEPPERED BEEF FILLET WITH BLUE CHEESE SAUCE
Serves 8 EASY 30 mins
WHAT YOU NEED
FILLET
1,2kg SPAR Steak Co. Beef Fillet, tied with kitchen string at 3cm intervals
30ml (2 tbsp) SPAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil
SPAR Salt, to taste
30ml (2 tbsp) SPAR Dijon Mustard
45ml (3 tbsp) SPAR Black Peppercorns, lightly crushed
BLUE CHEESE SAUCE
100g SPAR Marksbury Select Blue Cheese, crumbled
250ml (1 cup) SPAR Long Life Cream
15ml (1 tbsp) SPAR Butter
SPAR Choice Grade Creamed Spinach, to serve
roasted pumpkin, to serve
HOW TO DO IT
1 For the fillet, preheat the oven to 200°C. Rub the fillet with olive oil and season to taste. Heat a heavy-based pot over medium heat and brown the meat, about 5 minutes per side.
2 Spread the Dijon mustard over the browned fillet. Coat the meat with crushed peppercorns. Transfer to a baking tray and roast the fillet in the preheated oven until cooked to your liking, 20 minutes for rare, 25 minutes for medium and 30 minutes for well-done. Wrap in foil and rest for 10 minutes before carving.
3 For the sauce, place the cheese and cream in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Increase the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the butter and whisk until combined. Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the sauce into a serving jug.
4 Serve the fillet with a drizzle of the warm blue cheese sauce. Enjoy with the creamed spinach and roasted pumpkin alongside.
BUTTER-BEAN MASH WITH ROSEMARY
Serve this alongside the peppered beef fillet with blue cheese sauce
Serves 4 EASY 10 mins
WHAT YOU NEED
60ml (4 tbsp) SPAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil
leaves of 1 fresh rosemary sprig, finely chopped
2 x 400g tins SPAR Butter Beans, drained and rinsed
45ml (3 tbsp) hot water
10ml (2 tsp) SPAR Lemon Juice
SPAR Salt and freshly ground SPAR Black Pepper, to taste
HOW TO DO IT
1 In a small saucepan, heat ½ of the olive oil over low heat. Add the chopped rosemary and fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set aside until needed.
2 Place the butter beans in a food processor and add the remaining ½ of the olive oil. Add the hot water, lemon juice, seasoning and rosemary-infused olive oil. Pulse until smooth.
3 Transfer to the still-warm saucepan and heat through before serving.
MILLE-FEUILLE WITH ORANGE CRÈME PÂTISSiÈRE
Serves 8 – 10 A LITTLE EFFORT 1 hr
WHAT YOU NEED
MILLE-FEUILLE
flour, to dust
400g SPAR Ready Rolled Puff Pastry, defrosted
25g (¼ cup) SPAR Icing Sugar + extra, to dust
CRÈME PÂTISSiÈRE
350ml SPAR High Fat Milk
150ml SPAR Long Life Cream
zest of 1 orange
90g SPAR Castor Sugar
4 SPAR Free Range Jumbo Eggs, yolks reserved
40g (4 tbsp) cornflour
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
pinch SPAR Salt
gooseberries, to garnish
white chocolate shards, to garnish
sugared almonds, to garnish
rose petals, to garnish (optional)
HOW TO DO IT
1 For the mille-feuille, preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside until needed.
2 Roll the puff pastry out onto a floured work surface and trim the sides to measure 36 x 30cm. Cut the sheet of pastry into 3 rectangles measuring 30 x 12cm each. Dust each rectangle with icing sugar and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Cover the rectangles with a sheet of baking paper. Place another baking sheet on top of the baking paper to weigh the pastries down. Bake in the preheated oven, about 25 – 30 minutes.
3 For the crème pâtissière, combine the milk, cream and orange zest in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and set aside to infuse about 5 minutes.
4 In a large mixing bowl, beat the castor sugar, egg yolks, cornflour, vanilla essence and salt together until pale. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the infused milk mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk until well combined.
5 Return the mixture to the still-warm saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking continuously until thickened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until needed.
6 Place one pastry sheet on a serving platter. Spread ½ of the crème pâtissière mixture to form a layer. Repeat with the remaining sheets of puff pastry and crème pâtissière mixture, finishing with a layer of puff pastry. Dust with icing sugar and garnish with gooseberries, chocolate shards, sugared almonds and rose petals, if desired.
COMPETITION
Stand a chance to WIN a R1 000 SPAR voucher. Fill out the form below and answer the question. Terms and conditions apply. Competition ends 15 July 2018.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
